In Mexico it is already quite common to talk about Chinese-manufactured vehicles, it is a market phenomenon that is a little less than 10 years old and we have had to see a rapid evolution of it.
The first brand to be formally established in our country was JAC in 2016and its product portfolio has evolved in a positive way, with models that increasingly adapt to consumer needs.
Today the cars “Made in China” begin to have a different perception and that is because there are more and more brands in the Mexican market, and therefore these brands offer adequate options in the face of fierce competition in truly competitive segments such as SUV C, and the vehicle that we are going to test today belongs to that segment.
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Design
The C segment of SUVs measures more than 4.5 meters and today is one of the most sought after -by size and price- in the specific case of Sei6 the design is far from the “very Chinese” lines and is closer to more recent designs. Refined and comprehensive, the absence of chrome is plausible and the lines are soft and kind to the eye. The front is without a doubt the most proactivesince it shows a full-width DRL signature and the main optics are hidden in the flanks of the central area, marked in inserts with a piano black finish, whose brightness will succumb to the action of the elements, and I hope I am wrong, with time will look streaked and faded.
From the side, the design is clean, we continue with the lack of chrome and the short overhangs make it look compact.
There is a detail that I did not like at allthe corner pieces or plastic protections of the fenders do not reach “all the way down” and do not connect with the side molding or with the black details of the fascias, that visual effect makes the wheels and tires look small and the side appearance looks “jumpy” that is to say… like when some pants fit us from “jumping puddles”the entire lower part should have been black and the lines between the fenders, the trim and the fascias should have been continuous. This detail obviously does not affect performance at all, but if you buy a JAC Sei6 I give you an idea of personalization that will look very good.
The rear part shows lines with the same design coherence as the front part and the rear optics -LED- is also joined from side to side, the double oval exhaust outlets -also from side to side- gives it a good visual finish.
DIMENSIONS (mm)
- Long: 4,605
- Width: 1,890
- Height: 1,700
- Wheelbase: 2,720
- Weight: 1,590kg (Empty) 2,015 Kg (Max)
- 18-inch wheels with 235/55 tires
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Specifications
Since the proliferation of small displacement tube-assisted engines, many response and performance issues have been solved, and if you manage to be easy on the accelerator pedal, fuel consumption can be optimal, it is not easy to be subtle with the pedal when you It has a turbo response and you get constant acceleration, but by being disciplined with the pedal, consumption can be contained. The gearbox is robotized with a double clutch, with six changes that can be activated manually if the command is selected. The suspension scheme is front McPherson and the rear is multi-link, both with independent drive.
Powertrain
- Engine: 1.5-liter GDI Turbocharged four-cylinder
- Power: 181 hp @ 4,850-5,500 rpm
- Torque: 207 lb-ft @ 1,800-3,500 rpm
- Transmission: 6DTC (2WD
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Interior
We have good finishes and combination of materials, much “Piano Black” finish with its well-known disadvantagesit looks great in the photo, but in reality it is always dusty.
The upholstery is leather with white stitching. The door panels have the same coherence of finishes front and rear, good quality at the top, hard plastic at the bottom with a touch and appearance that detracts from how well cared for the rest is.
In general, it has more successes than cons, an interior according to the segment and the price.
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Infotainment
Today, without fear of being wrong, this is the item in which the buyer looks the most, as I have always said: Today it is more important to know how compatible our vehicle is with our smartphone, for a good sector of the population it is already completely irrelevant if the engine is turbocharged or the box is robotic, what interests them is compatibility.
The first thing that stands out are the 12.3″ screens, the first displays all the vehicle information, the instrument cluster and other operating information, it is LCD, the second screen is also 12.3″ it is HD and touch-operated, here all the information of the air conditioning system is displayed and the “Mirror Link” function is visible and replicates the screen of the phone that is connected and allows us access to various apps such as Waze, Spotify, Google Maps to name a few.
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Security
A complete security suite, the ADAS* system made up of alerts for: Lane Departure (LDW), Forward Collision (FCW), Lane Keeping (LKA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Intelligent Light Control (HMA) are only present in the top-of-the-range version . In Blind Spot Control (BSM) the Rear Traffic Control (RCTA) are also present in the intermediate version and in the top of the range.
- SIX Airbags
- 360 camera
- ADAS System* (Top Version)
- Traction Control (TCS)
JAC SEI6 PRO 2023: Handling
Let’s recap, we have a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that gives us a power of 181 hp and a torque of 207 lbs., we have a weight in running order of 1,590 kilos, which goes up to 2,015 kilos fully loaded.
One of the key points of this combination is the transmission -which may also be its weak point since we are talking about a dual-clutch “robotic box”, it has six gears and can be operated in two ways, in a completely automatic way, or using the paddles located behind the steering wheel to make the changes manually and since we are talking about the transmission it is prudent to comment that there is no longer a lever as such, now there is a selector knob on the center console
The behavior in the city is adequate, and it does not present much delay when accelerating (turbo lag) for example when starting at a traffic light, the gearbox drive feels well stepped and if the accelerator is not abused, the handling is smooth.
There are three driving modes: ECO / Standard / Sport that are selected with a button that weighs each of the modes, because let’s remember that turbo engines, if they are handled with emotional intelligence and do not over-accelerate, can be extremely efficient and consume little fuel, on the contrary, if one succumbs to the constant and linear acceleration power that the turbo gives us, added to the good feeling of acceleration, added to the emotion, consumption can rise a lot even if it is a small engine.
On the highway it behaves much better than expected, good poise and the feeling in general is solid, it does not disappoint, quite the opposite.
Conclution
A well-established product, with a good design, security at a good level and a price range that positions it within its segment. It is not easy at all because the price range between $580,000 to $710,000 pesos (MXN) puts the JAC Sei6 in direct competition with names like: honda crv, Nissan X-Trail either Mazda CX-5if you do not believe me right here I leave one comparison.